City of Lynchburg, VA Police Chief

The City of Lynchburg is seeking an exceptional experienced leader to become its next Police Chief guiding a department that is already recognized as a gold standard in Central Virginia policing. This is an executive opportunity for an individual prepared to sustain and advance existing achievements as the Lynchburg Police Department (LPD) is a high-performing department. The Chief reports directly to the City Manager and serves a community characterized by its service orientation historical depth traditional values and modern growth. Lynchburg is seeking a leader who can sustain and advance existing achievements and an individual prepared to guide a department that is already committed to operational excellence and strong community partnerships. This role is instrumental in guiding the departments future ensuring its strategies meet the evolving law enforcement needs of the community while fostering a relationship of trust and transparency.

The core mission of the Police Chief is to provide the visionary and strategic direction necessary to maintain the departments effectiveness and ethical foundation. This involves inspiring a diverse team of sworn and professional personnel actively cultivating a culture defined by high professionalism and unwavering accountability. While the Chief ensures all policies and procedures are rigorously upheld the internal focus is primarily on elevating personnel through mentorship actively championing professional development fostering positive employee relationships and delegating management responsibilities to a competent team.

The department values collaboration and responsiveness maintaining excellent relationships across all City departments and actively engaging community leaders and residents through initiatives like bike events school programs and neighborhood walks. Officers are trained to interact with the public with dignity and respect building trust and empathy even in sensitive situations. Equally critical is the Chiefs role as the departments primary public face and relationship builder. This leader must bring strategic awareness and relationship-building expertise to engage City leadership and regional law enforcement partners continuing the strong interagency communication that exists across the City counties and surrounding regional entities. This level of engagement extends outward to establish vital working relationships with other law enforcement agencies at the regional state and national levels. Administratively the position requires demonstrating excellence in human resource managementfrom interviewing and hiring to performance evaluationand rigorously maintaining compliance standards especially ensuring transparency and fidelity to bias-free policing principles through data collection and training.

Ultimately the successful Chief will strategically guide the department to meet evolving community needs while successfully upholding and advancing its legacy of trust and transparency.

Priorities

• Enhancing Community Safety and Trust. The next Police Chief must continue to support and build upon the Citys commitment to enhancing community safety and trust by leading a comprehensive approach that integrates effective law enforcement strong operational readiness and consistent authentic engagement with the community.
• Strengthen Internal Relationships and Culture: Build trust unity and respect across command staff officers and professional staff. The Police Chief should actively take the time to get to know employees before making changes.
• Prioritize Employee Well-being and Retention: Advance wellness programs for all staff. The Police Chief needs to prioritize retention morale and consistency in departmental practices while recognizing work-life balance and family needs.
• Enhance Visibility and Engagement: Be visible and approachable in the field and the community not just in the office. This includes engaging through community walks calls for service and ride-alongs.
• Support Staff Development and Empowerment: Empower and mentor staff appointing qualified supervisors and expanding training opportunities. The Police Chief must be committed to succession planning to ensure the departments long-term health.
• Strategic and Steady Leadership: Be open to fresh ideas but remain cautious about changing too much and too quickly. The Police Chief must continue to build on the departments progress such as with co-response teams and specialized units and avoid reverting to outdated practices.
• Effective Communication and Support: Serve as a strong communicator and active listener capable of championing the needs of employees.
• Operational Alignment: Demonstrate an informed approach to managing Lynchburgs evolving needs effectively coordinating responses to complex challenges within existing fiscal and organizational capacities of a mid-size city.

The Successful Candidate

The City of Lynchburgs next Police Chief will be a visionary people-centered leader with a focus on modern policing and community engagement. The successful candidate recognizes that success begins with a strong supported workforce and is dedicated to fostering a professional accountable and high-morale environment. This individual will bring a blend of hands-on experience and strategic foresight enabling the department to navigate evolving challenges while maintaining the high quality of life Lynchburg residents expect. The department boasts a second-to-none command staff with deep internal leadership and stability. This Chief will inherit a well-equipped agency having recently moved into a new purpose-built headquarters that offers necessary resources and has boosted staff morale. The LPD is proud of its accreditation with CALEA and consistently follows modern data-driven approaches like geo-policing.

The ideal candidate will embody the departments motto Your Partners and Your Protectors and value connection and visibility both within the department and across the community. The ideal Police Chief will be a strong communicator and active listener. This leader will be approachable and build trust unity and respect across command staff officers and professional staff. The successful candidate is strategic forward-looking and deeply committed to succession planning ensuring the departments long-term health. The candidate must be open to fresh ideas but also cautious about changing too much too quickly prioritizing thoughtful impactful transformation.

The Chief will make staff feel valued ensuring high morale and maintaining consistent fair practices across the department. The ideal leader will champion better retention by actively advocating for things that genuinely improve employees liveslike supporting work-life balance and strengthening wellness programs. Its essential that this Chief also actively mentors personnel focuses on promoting the most qualified internal candidates to supervisory roles and consistently expands training opportunities to encourage career growth for everyone.

The City is seeking an executive who hasnt forgotten where the work happens; having solid proven field experience as a police officer is mandatory as is understanding the crucial operational dynamics of 911/Emergency Communications Centers. Finally this leader needs a nuanced practical appreciation for Lynchburg itself. They must be skillful enough to manage challenges that often resemble those in much larger cities while operating smartly and effectively within the realistic resource constraints of a smaller municipality.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience Required: A bachelors degree in criminal justice business public administration or a related field is required along with extensive policing experience including five years at the commander/management level.

Preferred Qualifications and Training: A masters degree is preferred. Also desired is continuing professional education in a law enforcement program such as the FBI Academy or the Southern Police Institute.

Other Requirements: The successful candidate must reside in the City of Lynchburg. Relocation assistance will be provided. They must satisfactorily complete all required background checks.

Inside The Organization

The City of Lynchburg has a Council-Manager form of this system the elected City Council sets policy and an appointed City Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the government. The City Council consists of seven members who are elected to four-year staggered terms. The council is made up of three at-large members and one member representing each of the Citys four wards.

For Fiscal Year 2026 the City of Lynchburgs government is managed with a General Fund budget of about $250.5 million serving a population estimated to be just over 80000. Other financial details include the use of enterprise funds for services and specific tax rates decided by the City Council.

The City of Lynchburgs mission and values are guided by the City Councils vision internal strategies and the missions of its various departments. Overall the City strives for innovation integrity and opportunity with a focus on improving the quality of life for its residents. The following are City Councils identified priorities:

• Public Safety Making Lynchburg Safer
• Infrastructure Improving the Built Environment
• Lifelong Learning Investing in People
• Economic Development Recruiting Expanding and Retaining Businesses
• Quality of Life Strengthening Community Ties

Inside the Police Department

The Lynchburg Police Department is committed to preserving the peace maintaining order and providing critical homeland defense by preventing crime and protecting people and property. This is accomplished through investigating criminal activity and apprehending criminals as well as promoting traffic safety. The department operates using a community policing operation strategy to accomplish its mission. The department is committed to working hand-in-hand with community partners to address local issues. This cooperative approach focuses on educating residents solving neighborhood problems together building strong positive relationships and encouraging local self-sufficiency.

The department is structured into the Field Operations Bureau Administration Bureau and Investigations Bureau. It also offers community service and educational initiatives such as crime prevention personal safety programs school resource officer programs the Citizens Police Academy and crime prevention through environmental design. The departments $31 million FY 2026 budget supports 224.65 dedicated FTEs.

The Police Department maintains essential operational functions that extend beyond typical patrol and investigative duties. Emergency Communications serves as the critical Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) acting as the central hub for citizens to request all emergency and non-emergency public safety assistance. The Animal Control Unit is tasked with comprehensive enforcement across all city streets and highways. Furthermore the Department strategically utilizes self-funding revenue streams to support operational needs: Range Operations charges outside agencies a per-day usage fee which directly offsets facility maintenance costs. Similarly the Off-Duty program manages requests for security services; the resulting revenue is processed through the Citys payroll system and is intended to offset the full cost of paying participating police officers.

Our Mission and Values

The Departments mission is: We partner with our community and protect our citizens while respecting the rights and dignity of all persons.

The values of the Department centered around its mission statement include:

• Providing a safe environment for our community.
• Developing our personnel and fostering strong internal relationships.
• Investing in community relationships and partnerships.
• Intentional focus on accountability buy-in and collaboration within the department and the community helps ensure the Departments success.

The Community

Lynchburg known as the Hill City or the City of Seven Hills is an independent city nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia located on the James River. With a population of approximately 80000 people Lynchburg is the anchor of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state and is characterized by a rich history a growing contemporary feel and a strong educational presence.

Lynchburg has a strong industrial base particularly in nuclear engineering healthcare and educational services and advanced manufacturing. The City is focused on economic development and is actively revitalizing its walkable downtown and riverfront areas to attract new businesses and residents. Importantly the cost of living in Lynchburg is lower than the national average especially for housing and the City has been recognized for its job opportunities. Lynchburg is an educational hub home to several public and private colleges and universities including Liberty University the University of Lynchburg Virginia University of Lynchburg Randolph College and Central Virginia Community College. The City is also served by a recognized public school system that features a unique Partners in Education program as well as the Beacon of Hope program.

Lynchburg offers residents a suburban feel with a mix of rent and homeownership historic architecture and close proximity to national historic sites the Blue Ridge Parkway and outdoor recreation opportunities. The revitalized downtown area features cultural events and attractions like the Academy Center of the Arts and Amazement Square a childrens museum contributing to a vibrant arts scene. For outdoor enthusiasts the city is designated as a Runner Friendly Community and boasts over 40 miles of urban trails along the James River and Blackwater Creek popular for walking and running.

Compensation and Benefits

The City of Lynchburg offers a competitive salary package for the Police Chief position which will be dependent on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. The hiring range begins at $175000 depending on qualifications with an excellent benefits addition to a competitive salary the City offers a robust benefits package to full-time employees including medical dental and vision coverage; participation in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS); paid time off and holidays; and additional programs such as life insurance deferred compensation flexible spending accounts parental leave and tuition assistanceunderscoring the Citys commitment to employee well-being. Review the benefits brochure here and cost of living housing and relocation support information here.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications beginning December 19 2025. The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Questions

Please direct questions to Anne Lewis at or or Robert Colichio at .

RECRUITMENT BROCHURE

Required Experience:

Chief